Do you take advantage of savings when you can, or do you just let the savings fall by the wayside because you can’t be bothered? I’m not talking about extreme couponing, or even driving to three different grocery stores to save $0.27 on four items.
Don’t misunderstand me. There is nothing wrong with extreme couponing, or comparison shopping. These things can save you lots of money over time. But when first starting out trying to reduce expenses and save money, it can be daunting and extremelytime-consuming. And here we are all about living your life during the journey.
Yes, lifestyle shifts and sacrifices need to be made, but as with anything else, too much too soon does not work. To do so is to set yourself up for failure. (This applies to most people – if you have iron will and immense self-control, please go for it.)
Here’s a quick, simplified example of how to make the most of your money:
- Assume I have to buy a $25 gift card and $25 worth of kids clothes. I shop at Kroger frequently, so I was emailed when they ran a promotion offering 4X fuel points on gift cards. (If you’re not signed up for the loyalty/rewards program for stores you frequent, what are you waiting on?)
- Deciding to buy a $25 gift card to Amazon as my gift and a $25 gift card to Old Navy will net me 200 Kroger fuel points, which is equivalent to $.20 off per gallon of gas on a fill-up. I typically fill up at a quarter tank of gas, so that would save me $2.80.
- By using my credit union’s debit card as a credit, I get double reward points at grocery stores this quarter. The $50 I spent will net me the equivalent of $100 towards my credit union’s reward points.
- Lastly, if I go through Ebates to shop online for the kids clothes from Old Navy while shopping (during an Old Navy sale, of course), they are offering 8% cash back. That’s $2 I would earn for money I was already planning to spend. Using their buy online, pick-up in store option, I don’t have to worry about shipping.
Voila. By making small changes to my choices, I’ve saved/earned $4.80 immediately, and put money towards rewards with my credit union. Mininal effort. I was going to spend the $50 anyway.
While I’ve used stores that may not be in your area, there is a good chance that similar deals are offered at stores you frequent or with your credit union. Be sure to check.
If you’re going to spend it anyway, you may as well spend it smarter.